The Space Age Science and technology in the United States

the hubble space telescope seen discovery during second servicing mission

running in tandem atomic age has been space age. american robert goddard 1 of first scientists experiment rocket propulsion systems. in small laboratory in worcester, massachusetts, goddard worked liquid oxygen , gasoline propel rockets atmosphere, , in 1926 fired world s first liquid-fuel rocket reached height of 12.5 meters. on next 10 years, goddard s rockets achieved modest altitudes of 2 kilometers, , interest in rocketry increased in united states, britain, germany, , soviet union.

two jet propulsion laboratory engineers stand 3 vehicles, providing size comparison of 3 generations of mars rovers. front , center flight spare first mars rover, sojourner, landed on mars in 1997 part of mars pathfinder project. on left mars exploration rover (mer) test vehicle working sibling spirit , opportunity, landed on mars in 2004. on right test rover mars science laboratory, landed curiosity on mars in 2012.

sojourner 65 cm (2.13 ft) long. mars exploration rovers (mer) 1.6 m (5.2 ft) long. curiosity on right 3 m (9.8 ft) long.

as allied forces advanced during world war ii, both american , russian forces searched top german scientists claimed spoils country. american effort bring home german rocket technology in operation paperclip, , bringing of german rocket scientist wernher von braun (who later sit @ head of nasa center) stand out in particular.

expendable rockets provided means launching artificial satellites, manned spacecraft. in 1957 soviet union launched first satellite, sputnik i, , united states followed explorer in 1958. first manned space flights made in 1961, first soviet cosmonaut yuri gagarin , american astronaut alan shepard.

from first tentative steps, 1969 apollo program landing on moon , partially reusable space shuttle, american space program brought forth breathtaking display of applied science. communications satellites transmit computer data, telephone calls, , radio , television broadcasts. weather satellites furnish data necessary provide warnings of severe storms. global positioning satellites first developed in starting around 1972, , became operational 1994. interplanetary probes , space telescopes began golden age of planetary science , advanced wide variety of astronomical work.